Turkey has a very great jewellery tradition. All the civilisations, which have inhabited Anatolia have produced numerous objects both for religious and artistic purposes. Hittites, Urartians, Ionians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans all established rule in Anatolia and created their own jewellery styles.

            In İstanbul the jeweller's art gained importance with the growth and prosperity of the Ottoman Empire. During and after the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent, ˙stanbul became one of the world's most prominent centres for jewellery. 

              Historical sources state that jewellery fairs were held in İstanbul during the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent.   

            Today, the Turkish jewellery industry reflects a rich cultural heritage combined with modern innovative designs and technology. The modern Turkish jewellery industry includes some techniques particular to Turkey. Some of these are filigree (telkari), niello (savat) and wickerwork (hasır).

            In Turkey, gold has an emotional relevance. When it is given as a gift, it demonstrates the closeness of the relationship. It has a multifaceted traditional, emotional, financial and social personality.

            Turkey annually imports about 100 tons of gold every year. At present there are about 50,000 jewellers in Turkey. 200-250 tonnes of gold are used in 6,000 gold-processing workshops per year. The centre for gold jewellery production is İstanbul. However, production in Ankara and İzmir is also extensive. Some cities in East Anatolia also produce gold jewellery. In 1989 and during 1990 jewellery fabrication peaked, and Turkey ranked 5th in the world. In 1996 220 tons of gold jewellery had been produced.

            A gold stock exchange was established in September 1995 in İstanbul and there are plans to establish a gold refinery in the near future.

            Domestic demand for gold jewellery is very high because most Turkish people buy it both for adornment and as a means of saving. Some 4,000- 5,000 tonnes of gold is believed to be kept in houses in Turkey. In this respect, Turkey ranks second in the world in personal gold investment.

            The gold processing sector of Turkey has turned its attention to exporting its products in recent years. The saving habits of people have changed due to recent developments in the Turkish economy and they have started using another ways of investing as well as buying gold jewellery. And in 1993 the export and import restrictions on precious metals and stones were abolished.

            Although gold jewellery is a new sector on the export scene of Turkey, its performance is quite good and export value has increased dramatically. In 1999, exports totalled 286 million US dollars by about 130 exporters into some 40 countries. The major countries for gold jewellery exports were Germany, the USA and Japan. Besides exports, a big amount of gold jewellery is also sold to tourists visiting Turkey. In 1996, about 50 tons had been sold to tourists.